Owner of African caracals that were loose in Royal Oak to remove the cats from her home

The Royal Oak woman whose large African cat was on the loose for about a day in the city is working to the remove it and its three siblings from her home.

The woman was also given five tickets for failing to keep the four African Caracals confined to her yard in violation of the city's ordinances.

"She has arranged for a service to relocate the pets and transport them out of the city," Royal Oak Police Lt. Albert Carter said Friday. "She's having them removed from Royal Oak."

He said he didn't know exactly where the Caracals were going, but she was working with various animal sanctuaries and groups to get them into a new home by Monday.

The violations are municipal civil infractions and punishable by a fine of up to $500, plus enforcement and court costs, according to Royal Oak's Code of Ordinances.

Carter said she has two weeks to arrange a date with the city's district court to address the citations.

"She is being cooperative with the situation," he said.

The Wednesday escape of two of the woman's Caracals earlier this week made international news.

According to authorities, she called police at about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday to report two of her four large cats escaped from her home in the area of 13 Mile and Rochester roads.

The animals are native to Africa and weigh about 30-40 pounds. They are classified in a category of animal that isn't regulated by the state, officials said.

Police said the cats' owner keeps them in large cages that provide them access into and out of her home's garage.

On Wednesday, a gate was left open and two of the felines escaped, they said.

Officials said the cats have escaped their enclosure at the home at least two times previously. Carter said Friday two of the five citations stem from the two animals that got out of her yard and the other three are for those previous incidents.

One of the cats was found by the Royal Oak Schools administration building, shortly after their jailbreak, police said. It was returned to its owner. As a precaution, police notified nearby schools about the animals' escape.

However, the other half of the duo was at-large until about 11 p.m. Wednesday when it was captured by a group that rescues lost pets.

cramirez@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CharlesERamirez